Story+1980-12-16+Boston,+MA

”I remember when I was.....back in high school....I used to sit in the back of the class....I never did, I never did very good....for some reason, it seemed like....the way they were.... they were either teaching things or they were.....for some reason they were trying to....trying to bang....all sorts of stuff to your head.....instead of finding some way.....some way to make you understand this, some way to get through.....the way to feel it in your heart (cheers).....and it got....it got to where I....started ....instead of trying....trying to teach it..... trying to help you find a place.....they were trying to ... they were teaching you in the way that meant to keep you in your place (cheers) .... later....when I got older, I started..... I started to be interested in reading something, reading books.....and trying to, trying to learn some of that stuff that they were trying ....to teach me when I was in high school..... that I sorta......I started to think how sad it was, there was always....there was always great great books, there was always great writers that wrote.....they wrote with so much passion, so much fire and ....somehow they would be able to turn that stuff......somehow make it so warm, you know.....I remember at the time the only place I could see, find it.....was on the radio....it was really, it was really something because.....it was great, it was like.....it seemed like it was such a secret at the time......because, because there’d be all this stuff coming down to your house.....and I remember that my old man and my mom used to .... (?) .... my father used to say ‘What’s all that noise ?’....’what is that ? what kind of a.....sound is that ?’, you know (chuckles).....it was like infiltrating.....infiltrating the whole United States....from overseas (chuckles).....stuff that only you could hear..... and.....it was like....it’d be about this message.....it really felt....felt like this lifeline.... that was going down to all them places that were.....where people....like in my town, people didn’t know what to do .....(?).....it seemed like everybody was sitting around watching their lives pass ‘em by.....you know.....and the most important thing.....sometimes the most important thing was when somebody.....would try to.....would try to get through to ‘em ....it would just sound like a bunch of noise, just like the stuff that my old man thought music on the radio sounded like.....I remember I used to feel bad because I couldn’t .....I used to go to bed some nights and I’d wish that I could make ‘em hear it....you know, wished that I could say ‘Hey Pop, come here.....listen to this Drifters record .... listen....’Saturday Night at the Movies’ or something....but.....he let most of that stuff pass him by.....that was a lucky time.....you know.....to be 15 or 16.....it’s harder now, you know.....who’s there....who’s going to high school out there ? (cheers)..... you guys got it tough now so this is for you......”
 * 16.12.80 Boston, Mass., intro to ‘Independence Day’:**

”I remember.....when my mother got out of high school, she took this job.....as a secretary....(?) the day right after, she went downtown.....where she got this job..... and she worked there every single day of her life.....and.....it became ....it became like such a part of her life that when.....she was able to quit, she just didn’t want to, you know (chuckles)....I don’t know.....when I was a kid, it seemed like....she used to have to work.....work too hard for what good times that there was.....and.....she seemed to understand all about me ....(?)....”
 * 16.12.80 Boston, Mass., intro to ‘The Price You Pay’:**

”There we were.....it was Christmas Eve (cheers).....my car broke down.....I was standing on this backroad.....I was broke and I couldn’t buy nobody no presents....me and the guys all made a deal like they don’t get no presents, I don’t get ‘em no presents.....some Christmas, right ?.....I was walking down this backroad and all of a sudden....from way up .....over the woods, I heard.....who’s there (cheers).....then I heard.....(Clarence says ”Ho, ho, ho)(cheers)....I went off to the woods.....and there was....there was....with one.....with one (?) broken on the sleigh....sitting there by the side of the road......there was.....Santa Claus ! (cheers).....(Clarence :´´ho, ho, ho”) .....What happened to your sleigh, man ? (Clarence : ”Sleigh broke down”).....so how you gonna get everyplace ?.....so I got down on my hands and knees and helped him fix up his sleigh.....(?) all the reindeers.....and he said ‘Thanks’ and he took off.....he took off to the sky.....and as he was flying away, I could hear him say.....’Which way to the New Jersey Turnpike ?’ (cheers).....so....I gave him the directions.....and it got real dark, I was standing there in the middle of the woods....I was thinking that I had no money and I had no presents....was gonna get nothing....all of a sudden I looked up the highway....and it looked like, just as he rode away, it looked like stuff just slipped out of that bag.....and fell down by the highway-side.....and I ran up to the road.....and about a twenty feet away....sitting there in the dark, I saw....(cheers).....and I put it on ....and man, when we touched.....”
 * 16.12.80 Boston, Mass., middle of ‘Growin’Up’:**

”It was like....about....during the time we were making the last record.....a friend of mine got married.....out west and uh.....we all (?) went to the service and played at the reception and stuff (chuckles)....(?)....but we went to this....we went to temple and we went in....and the rabbi got up and he was giving a sermon....and it was....the main thing he said was that....as long as you’re by yourself....long as you’re alone....that all the things that you dream and all the things that you hope for....they remain fantasies ....it’s not until you....come in to touch with somebody.....with a girl or with a ... whatever, anybody (?) whoever....that you begin to make....you begin to make those dreams real, it’s the first step to making the dreams real....it’s like....it’s like sitting in a room, I remember I was.... I was 15, 16, I´d sit up in my room all the time....practise the guitar and never came out....and it’s like.....a song ain’t no good till somebody hears it, that’s....that’s what it´s about (cheers)....that’s when, that’s when it becomes real....before that it’s just.....just an idea, it’s just a dream.....and if you’re.....if you don’t make that connection, you end up just like a ghost....you know....just like a ghost walking around.....”
 * 16.12.80 Boston, Mass., intro to ‘Drive All Night’:**

”Ok, Santa....What kinda gifts I’m gonna get this year ?....the same old cheap stuff ? (Clarence says ”No”)....”
 * 16.12.80 Boston, MA, middle of ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’:**

´´This is for Nana.....Nana Randolph.....out there.....´´
 * 16.12.80 Boston, MA, intro to ‘Sandy’**

´´Lenore.....this is for you and your mama, enjoy....´´
 * 16.12.80 Boston, MA, intro to ‘I Wanna Marry You’**

//Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi//